How much do you discuss politics?

[supervike]

Just curious about some of you.

Other than my close friends or family, I rarely ever discuss political issues with casual co-workers/acquaintances in 'real life'.

It's just never been worth it for me, as it always seems to end with either polite strained agreement, or bad feelings. So, I avoid it like the plague.

How about you folks? Do you openly discuss political things in depth? How is it received?

To be honest, that is why I like coming to these forums so much, as I can have political debate without the 'bad side' of lost friendships and awkward avoidances.

Edited March 10, 2016 by supervike

[Sweetpumper]

I'm the same.

[Space Commander Travis]

I find that whenever I want to tell people the good news about donald trump, they tend to move away from me, so this is where I can indulge my passion.

[HandsomeGorilla]

One rule I've always tried to live by is that you never discuss politics, race, religion or personal finances in polite company. These things are so personal and subjective for everyone that they're hardly worth arguing over.

Will I ever convince an evangelical Christian that God isn't real? No.

Would I ever persuade an in-the-bag Hillary voter that Trump is the way to go, instead? Not likely.

Those are rhetorical stances, but you know what I mean. The back and forth bickering isn't worth it for most people.

[aztek]

pretty much same way, 95% of my politics talk is here, at home and at work, i got better things to do\talk about. almost never talk about politics outside of UM.

[F3SS]

Just with my dad and a certain few friends. Never with strangers and aquiantences. Every so often it comes up in unusual company and I'll usually appease if our views aren't in line depending on who it is, i.e. a customer, or just smile and be in general agreeance if our views aren't in line, i.e. lots of yeas and I knows. I certainly lack an ability to be as outspoken and convey my full thoughts on issues in general company. It depends on the conversation I guess and who it's with but I'm definitely not as I am here.

My brother hardly pays attention to anything but knows he's mostly conservative. He's about to marry into a family of liberals. So one night he's at his sister in-law to be's and they're having family game night. Trivial Pursuit iirc. Anyway, George Bush was the answer to a question and when the name was mentioned attention was drawn to my brother. That's when the sister in-law and her husband both stood up and started going off on my bro. Leaning over the table, pointing their fingers in his face, lecturing and berating about "his" president. My bro is seriously oblivious to all these political things but he knows he's not a liberal. His in-laws are though. They're very discriminatory and tactless about being humble the way decent people like all of us here are. They're also avid Hillary supporters. Personally, I don't talk to them the few times I've seen them. Not because I'm rude but because I know for a fact we have nothing in common.

[.ZZ.]

My wife and daughter only. LOL

Around our house lately, 99% of our light chat is about the primaries.

[Vlawde]

It seems that discussing politics in a reasonable manner is hardly possible anymore. And few people can talk about them with their emotions getting in the way of intelligence. I mostly avoid political threads here, and am unfriending a few people on Facebook who keep posting ignorant, hateful crap. People are getting more rude and more stupid, it seems. On the internet in general, people are inserting political opinions and insults into topics that have nothing to do with politics

Edited March 10, 2016 by Vlawde

[Gromdor]

I do all the time with the crew at work. Have a wide range of candidate followers from Sanders to Trump. We like to slam each other over the candidate picks, so we have to keep up on the news for ammo. It's almost like sports teams for us. Don't do it at home at all, wife could care less about American politics other than to comment that Americans must be idiots to pick this terms line up. She'll talk about Brazilian politics a bit, but mostly so she can comment on how all the Brazilians are idiots too.

[Yamato]

With my brother in law, pretty much every single time we're together. Thanksgiving especially. When the family visits my boss uncle's house for dinner...he'll talk politics to no end. It comes up at work here and there. It comes up now and then among friends. A lot of discussion about Obamacare most recently. With a girlfriend or romantic interest, never or almost never. She's usually liberal but she'll always be what she is. Best to live and let live and not drive each other crazy. People with different values still have good values.

[F3SS]

Such a coincidence this topic was posed. Shortly after I posted earlier an old buddy of mine I haven't heard from for a year or so started texting me to see how things have been. He's Eastern European, I think from Yugoslavia, about 50 years old and he's dying to get together and talk about politics with me. I really enjoy his pov on things. He's strongly atheist with very deep and well thought opinions and seems to believe in a sort of European enlightenment equating the age of the euro nations with wisdom, especially in denouncement of religion as he claims that religion in Europe has faded drastically due to people wising up, but he is here and he loves America too.

Edited March 11, 2016 by F3SS

[RavenHawk]

I do discuss politics with others beyond these forums but with those mostly that I share ideology, there isn't much for us to talk about because we agree. Those that do not share my ideology, it's like a lost cause. They look like a deer in the headlights, even when I bring it up, they shrug and we move on. Most of my family is Conservative so we don't spend much time. My brother works in the Beltway so I know he knows where a lot of the bodies are buried but I can get him going talking about Hillary or Obama. But for the most part, I don't find the level of knowledge any place else that comes close to here, and that's including those that hold an opposing view as I do. These still have that deer in the headlights look but just a bit more intelligent.

[spartan max2]

Freinds and families mostly. Sometimes co workers or classmates on occasion but that's only when they bring it up first. Whenever someone wants to discuss with me I do but I don't really go out of my way to bring things up.

Edited March 11, 2016 by spartan max2

[Paranormalcy]

Mainly just one IRL friend and my Facebook feed. I've always had a peripheral interest but hadn't watched a primary before this year, or kept up with politics quite like I am now, since there is finally an actual candidate to believe in. I sort of cover it in very general or broad measures when talking to family, answering questions as best I know them ("Is Donald Trump a Christian?", "Is Bernie Sanders Russian?", "Why does Ted Cruz look like that?", "Is Hillary Clinton related to Bill Clinton - they have the same last name"), etc. My uncles were... not terribly happy about crimson red Oklahoma going for Sanders but they refused to vote in the primaries, they dislike every single candidate so much. Other than that I also have heard that same adage about not discussins politics, religion or whatever else with general public - especially of course if it's in a business/job setting, and that seems good advice no matter what your personal preferences.

[acidhead]

I'm exactly the same in real life as I am here. Not as good looking as my profile pic but pretty close.

[Bama13]

My wife and daughter only. LOL

Around our house lately, 99% of our light chat is about the primaries.

Damn ZZ, college football is only 173 days away!! Never too early, or too late to talk about college football!!

[Michelle]

Same as religion, maybe five or ten minutes. Long enough to get a feel for where they stand. Then I find things we have in common otherwise. There are much more pleasant things in life.

[Dark_Grey]

They say there are three things you should never discuss with a man as all three carry heavy opinions:

Politics

Religion

Motor oil

[Michelle]

They say there are three things you should never discuss with a man as all three carry heavy opinions:

Politics

Religion

Motor oil

I never bring them up. When other people do, I nod and smile, then change the subject.

Life is too short...

[F3SS]

They say there are three things you should never discuss with a man as all three carry heavy opinions:

Politics

Religion

Motor oil

For most cars and lawn equipment I'm an oil is oil guy.

[Michelle]

For most cars and lawn equipment I'm an oil is oil guy.

Anything but Quaker State. I didn't say it...*backs away*...

[Dark_Grey]

I put my money in to the filter. The filter breaks down way before modern synthetic oil will. Otherwise I fill her up with Castrol synthetic and call it a day.

[rashore]

It depends on who I am with how much I discuss politics.

My mom and sister I like to chat with, but sometimes it gets to be a bit more heated or involved than I really have an interest for in the subject matter. We still end up talking about politics almost every day- or at least something that came up in the news, or I picked up here on UM.

My hubby and I chat about politics all the time. Always something new to talk about. We don't always agree on things, but that just makes things interesting.

A large portion of my friends chat about politics and issues fairly regularly. I join in depending on the conversation. And we all chat pretty regularly about politics in general.

Here on UM I tend to listen to the conversations much more than I tend to participate in the discussions. I also learn more about how various people view their politics here than anywhere else.

I almost never discuss politics in the workplace. I tend to try to avoid it if I can.

In general public conversations.. I wing it. A bit of light political banter is usually ok, but that just susses folks out and then I often don't go much deeper than that.

Edited March 15, 2016 by rashore

[questionmark]

Depends with who I am, with people of who I know that they can't take a joke I discuss nothing, not even the weather. With those that I know that can about everything, including politics.

[Yamato]

I attended a birthday party at work last night and found myself in a room full of women after the other men left, including the one that hired me. My 65 year old boss was there, and she joked that she scares men. Then she joked that a man like Trump wouldn't be scared of her. And then the discussion about politics started. I listened to her justify her candidate, assumed it was Hillary Clinton, and finally said she can just admit it, it's Hillary Clinton. It was, and her main reason for supporting Clinton was that she was getting old and would like to have a female President before she dies, even though she admitted it's regrettable that woman is Hillary.

I put my money in to the filter. The filter breaks down way before modern synthetic oil will. Otherwise I fill her up with Castrol synthetic and call it a day.

On motor oil, the most important thing of all is to use the weight oil recommended in your user manual, and change it regularly. What brand and synthetic/conventional isn't nearly as important although I wouldn't trust any off-brand. You don't have to spend extra money to get a great oil filter. NAPA Gold (Wix) is a $5 filter and it's as good as or better than anything else out there for a regular car or truck.

The 10,000 and 15,000 mile (synthetic) oil change intervals are also BS especially on modern engines with more complex oiling/valvetrain designs. Do that for 100,000+ miles and when you start burning oil, take it to the dealer and they'll say "Well yeah that's what happens". Well yeah that's what happens, when you follow their advice. Planned Obsolescence. Buy a new one. If you plan on keeping your car for years and taking good care of it, change your oil every 5,000 miles. Cheapest and best to use regular oil and change it every 3,000 miles like a clock - always with the correct weight.